First buy mansion, then run for Mayor
As February nears, we are expecting Houston's mayoral hopefuls to firm up. As news releases and announcement parties are bound to trickle down in the next few weeks, we were reminded of one basic requirement to run for Mayor: you have to live in the city.
If you're Ben Hall, the former city attorney who's made a fortune in private practice, you would move into the city in style. Granted, Hall currently lives in Piney Point, which isn't exactly far away. And it hasn't really stopped certain elected officials from holding office in the city (see district F). But, if you want to run for city wide office, you got to live in town.
Hall told me today that he's looking at one prized property for his move down the street: Hubert Vo's mansion on Rivercrest. Okay, State Rep. Hubert Vo never lived there. He was building it a few years ago when he got elected as a State Rep. That big ole' house on Rivercrest isn't in his district, so no one ever moved in.
Rivercrest has also been in the news because some of its wealthy neighbors wanted to take the street private. Nearby, less affluent neighbors cried foul, and it was made sorta-private with some controversial concrete barriers.
The house is nice, very nice. It's currently listed for $3.9 million on HAR. There are 8 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms and 2 half baths, and an 8 car garage. So, if Hall buys the house, you can bet that his mayoral ambitions are pretty real. Imagine the fundraisers he can hold there! Right now, it's still on the market. So, it's not too late if you want to snatch it up!
Well, it's fine if Mr. Hall wants to shop for a house inside the Houston city limits so he can run for Mayor in 2011 if he chooses.
By law, however, he prohibited from running for Mayor in 2009. One must have been a city resident for at least a year prior to running for city office.
Posted by: houtopia | January 22, 2009 at 05:57 PM
Houtopia,
Interesting.
How are you able to declare the man is prohibited from running if you are not privy to all the facts?
If Mr. Hall intended to run for Mayor in 2009, being a former City Attorney, one might presume he knows the rules.
Do we know if he formally changed his residential address late last year? Time will tell.
The dwelling listed as his homestead in 2008 is not the only house he owns in Houston. Besides, I recall Dan Patrick renting a townhome in the 7th SD before that election. Mr. Hall could also have easily leased a home in the City.
Posted by: Royko | January 22, 2009 at 07:44 PM
I can only operate on the facts given. The piece clearly states that Mr. Hall currently lives in Piney Point Village (which is confirmed by his voter registration with Harris County, by the way), and that he is looking to purchase a home and move into the City of Houston.
I know nothing about what other properties Mr. Hall may or may not own, or whether or not any of them are within in the city limits. If he says he lives in Piney Point Village, what else am I to conclude?
Posted by: houtopia | January 22, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Don't you think there' more to the Rivercrest connection than meets the eye? That's for you SKY EYE/Channel 13 to figure out...
Posted by: Michael I. Levy | January 23, 2009 at 06:09 PM
Houtopia,
As I mentioned over at BlogHouston, the voter registration is only for the past cycle, if he voted early, he could have moved before November 1, 2008.
If he has a water bill in his name, which he probably does since he ownes more than one home in the city, he cannot be challenged from his assertion.
If he does not claim a 2009 homestead exemption for the Piney Point property, and files before the end of April 2009 for the Houston property he seems legit to me.
Many folks forget to change voter registration, and driver's license forms when they move. That is no proof he did not establish residency.
Posted by: Royko | January 24, 2009 at 01:13 PM